RAF Heliopolis

Last updated
RAF Heliopolis
Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Heliopolis, Cairo, Cairo Governorate in Egypt
Site information
Type Royal Air Force station
Operator Royal Air Force
Location
Egypt adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
RAF Heliopolis
Shown within Egypt
Coordinates 30°05′01″N31°18′49″E / 30.08361°N 31.31361°E / 30.08361; 31.31361
Site history
Built1916 (1916)
In use1916–1944 (1944)
Battles/wars Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Runways
Direction Length and surface
00/00 Grass field

Royal Air Force Heliopolis or more simply RAF Heliopolis is a former Royal Air Force station located to the east of Cairo City centre, Cairo Governorate, Egypt.

Contents

During World War I the aerodrome was operated by the British Royal Flying Corps, housing several squadrons as well as a training wing, and then the Royal Air Force, being designated RAF Heliopolis in April 1918. [1] In the inter-war period it remained an active RAF base, housing several squadrons, including No. 208 Squadron RAF which was based there almost continuously from 1927 until 1942. [1]

At the end of a training regime from January to mid-March 1942 (involving the handling of Italian and German weapons, sabotage and parachutism), the French SAS company executed a surprise mock attack against the aerodrome of Heliopolis without the knowledge of the garrison and its commander. [2]

History

1958 Map of Cairo showing RAF Heliopolis in the middle at the bottom, open ground to the south of the Heliopolis Shooting Club Cairo (Egypt, 1958, city plan in scale 1 to 10 000).jpg
1958 Map of Cairo showing RAF Heliopolis in the middle at the bottom, open ground to the south of the Heliopolis Shooting Club
1941 Cairo Map showing RAF Heliopolis on the right, open ground to the south of the racecourse 1941 Cairo - Egypt City Plans 1 100 000.jpg
1941 Cairo Map showing RAF Heliopolis on the right, open ground to the south of the racecourse

The following RAF squadrons were also here at some point:

Current use

After the Second World War, the site was turned into an army barracks then, turned into the Egyptian Air Force Headquarters.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Barrass, M. B. (22 May 2014). "RAF Stations (H)". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  2. Le Mire, Henri (1980). Histoire des parachutistes français : la guerre para de 1939 à 1979. Paris: A. Michel. p. 21. ISBN   2-226-00890-X. OCLC   6774791.
  3. Jefford 1988, p. 25.
  4. Jefford 1988, p. 27.
  5. Jefford 1988, p. 28.
  6. Jefford 1988, p. 29.
  7. Jefford 1988, p. 34.
  8. Jefford 1988, p. 36.
  9. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 38.
  10. Jefford 1988, p. 39.
  11. Jefford 1988, p. 42.
  12. Jefford 1988, p. 43.
  13. Jefford 1988, p. 45.
  14. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 46.
  15. Jefford 1988, p. 47.
  16. Jefford 1988, p. 49.
  17. Jefford 1988, p. 50.
  18. Jefford 1988, p. 52.
  19. Jefford 1988, p. 56.
  20. Jefford 1988, p. 65.
  21. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 69.
  22. Jefford 1988, p. 70.
  23. Jefford 1988, p. 71.
  24. Jefford 1988, p. 81.
  25. Jefford 1988, p. 82.
  26. Jefford 1988, p. 91.
  27. Jefford 1988, p. 93.